


The silver dagger and its sheath

by IamNoOneSpecial



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Commoner Zelda, Complete Story, Friendship, Gen, Riddles, Royal Link, fairytale, finished work, folktale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-09
Updated: 2019-02-06
Packaged: 2019-10-07 03:32:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 18,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17358131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IamNoOneSpecial/pseuds/IamNoOneSpecial
Summary: This story is a rewritten folktale which we once took up in primary school; I rewrote the folktale using LOZ characters. It is the story of a poor farmer's daughter named Zelda. One day, while helping her father (Daphnes Nohansen) work on the fields, she finds a jeweled silver dagger. Her old father sells this silver dagger... not knowing that this dagger has been stolen... from the king of Hyrule himself...





	1. The silver dagger

**Author's Note:**

> Hello again AO3 LOZ community, this is I’mNoOneSpecial again.  
> I was rather miffed that my story “The Three Golden Goddesses’ Godlings,” went practically unnoticed… so I decided to bring out the big guns by drawing “the silver dagger.”  
> This was my first successful LOZ story on FFN, as already mentioned in the summary; this is a rewritten folktale that I had first read during my… primary? elementary? school days, in a reading class.  
> Let’s see how the people here on AO3 like it; on FFN they loved it.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so when I first started reposted “the silver dagger” here on AO3, nobody noticed it… to my utmost displeasure!  
> I’m not a professional writer but it still slights me when my stories go unnoticed!  
> … okay for some I quietly admit my defeat… (the ones I posted on FFN and discontinued.)  
> But for stories like these, like the “silver dagger” and “the golden godlings” I won’t stand for it!  
> I put a lot of thought and effort into those stories and I refuse to let them go under!
> 
> So here’s Take-Two…  
> I’ll combine two or three of the original chapters into one, and these chapters I’ll post.

It should have been a day of celebration for Hyrule, and it would be so in the years to come, but that day on that year it was a day of mourning. The war against the evil warlord the vile Ganondorf had been won but many a good man had died; many during the war, many before it had even really started.

One of the first had been the good-hearted King of Hyrule, who had underestimated the treachery the vile Ganondorf had been capable of. His death left late king’s young, but brave, nephew Link to lead Hyrule's armies to victory. And to inherit the throne.

And so despite all sorrow, the young prince was crowned king, and at once he set out to rebuild his country. Day after day, victims of the war would come into his castle and the young man and king would hear their pleas with a sound mind and a kind heart, and see to it that their troubles would all be resolved.

One among all these countless unfortunates was an old weary farmer, his skin darkened from years of hard work in fields and broad daylight, and his hair greyed from harsh labor and much hardship. In he came, accompanied by a beautiful maid, not older than the young king himself was, who blessed with lovely fair skin and chestnut-brown hair.

"My king," the old man pleaded as he and his companion kneeled, "My name is Daphnes Nohansen, and this is my only daughter Zelda. I owned a farm here in Hyrule, here in our province, before the vile Ganondorf came. His warriors raided my farm and burnt my home and village. My daughter and I barely escaped with our lives... We have nothing let and nowhere to go..." The old man lowered his head further, "Please help us my king."

The young king said nothing but he looked very thoughtful. Then he answered, "I think I know how to help you, good Daphnes..."

Then he turned to a valet, "See if the landlord Talon is still in town, and if so, ask him to come to me."

The valet bowed and left, and not much later he returned with a burly man in his middle ages, with a mustache.

"Master Talon," addressed him the young king, "Earlier this day you let me know that you needed workers on your farm. Can you take in this man and his daughter?"

The landlord took a moment to look at father and daughter. Then he nodded.

"Yes, I shall take them in your highness. The old fellow has clearly done much work in his long years and can still do more. His daughter too looks like a capable maid, and my good Malon would love to have a friend her age and sex on the farm."

And so, the old Daphnes and the fair Zelda found a new home on the burly landlord Talon's farm.

Not long after, not even half a month, the young king gave the old Daphnes a portion of Hyrule's fields. The people were hungry, and if the farmers did not bring in a bountiful harvest come autumn, then the winter that would follow would easily be the last for many. The next day had barely dawned when the old Daphnes borrowed a strong mare and set out to plough the field the king gave him. While he upturned the earth, his dutiful daughter, the fair Zelda, followed, sowing seeds upon the soil.

But then her young eyes caught something shining in the dirt, and the fair Zelda promptly reached down to unearth it.

"Father! Come see this!"

Her father, the old Daphnes, heard, and when he came over, he found a beautiful dagger in his daughter's hands. The long knife had been forged from bright silver, and sparkling jewels were set into the hilt and pommel. Father and daughter examined the silver blade with wonder; never before had they held a thing of such beauty.

Then the daughter spoke again. "Come father, help me search the ground."

Her old father looked at her uncomprehendingly, "Whatever for my child?"

The young maid was smart for one her age, "Every sword, every dagger comes with a sheath. And as this dagger is made from shining silver and set with sparkling jewels, so will surely be the sheath."

But a good couple of hours later, they had dug up the whole field, and yet they had not found the sheath; a fact that began to trouble the fair Zelda.

"Well," spoke the old Daphnes unconcerned, "With silver sheath or without, this silver dagger will still fetch us a good price."

"Father, no!" warned him, his daughter, "Do not sell this dagger!"

"What are you saying child?" asked the old Daphnes incredulously, "Why should we keep it?"

At once the smart child let her fears be known, "I fear this dagger has been stolen!"

The old farmer looked confused, "Whatever makes you say that, child?"

"A jeweled dagger such as this could only belong to a nobleman. And surely it would have come with a sheath to match. Yet we found this dagger here on this field, and sheath we found none," said the wise, fair Zelda, "Methinks a thief must have pulled it out of its sheath, off a careless noble."

The old Daphnes thought for a good long moment, "What then shall we do with it?"

His smart daughter soon had her reply, "Let us go see the king again. We show him the dagger, and tell him how we found it, and then we give it to him so that it goes back to its rightful owner. Kind as the king is, he may even reward us for our honesty."

The old Daphnes thought this over. Then he nodded, "Very well child. We shall do it your way."

With that, father and daughter continued their work on the field.

But late that evening, after they'd had their evening meal, the old Daphnes lay wearily in his bed. And he thought to himself,  _'I have worked hard all my life only to have my farm burned by raiders... I went to the king for help and now here I am, a lowly helper on someone else's farm, forced to work hard yet for more years...'_

His thoughts landed back on the jeweled silver dagger.

_'Whatever reward the king may give me, it will not nearly be as much as the prize that I could fetch for this fine blade...'_

Before he went to sleep, one last thought came to his mind,  _'Tomorrow I shall sell the dagger...'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please review and comment. All forms of reviews, comments and criticisms are very welcomed and appreciated.  
> If you do not have the time to leave behind such, a numerical ratings from 0-10 will suffice just as well.  
> 10 = PERFECTION!  
> 9 = Awesome!  
> 8 = Very good!  
> 7 = Good  
> 6 = Nice  
> 5 = Not too bad  
> 4 = Not so good  
> 3 = Bad  
> 2 = Why did you post this?  
> 1 = Why the hell did you even bother write this?!  
> 0 = Delete this shit… NOW!


	2. The theft

The next day both father and daughter were working hard again on the field. Shortly after noon, they sat down to enjoy a short meal, and young Zelda was surprised to see her father bring out soft, white bread, fragrant, white fresh cheese, savory, spiced liver spread, and slices of tender smoked bacon.

"Father, how did you come by all this good food?"

The old Daphnes just shrugged his shoulders. "The king was most generous with his reward..."

But when he pulled out a bottle of wine, his daughter feared the worst.

"Father, do not tell me that you sold the dagger!"

"Eat child and do not worry about it."

But despite the good food laid out before her, the fair Zelda barely ate; her worry didn't let her. And when they returned to the farm, she feared that her worries had come true; they were greeted by a group of castle guards!

"Are you Daphnes Nohansen?" asked the most senior of the soldiers.

"Y-yes that is me."

"The king demands you at the castle, now!"

The old Daphnes started to grow fearful, but his daughter would not abandon him.

"Forgive me good Sir, but why would the king call for us? We are but poor farmers."

"You will have to hear that from the king himself, lass," the captain replied, "But I hear that it is about a stolen heirloom."

Hearing this, fair Zelda feared for her father, "May I come with my father Sir?"

The old guard shrugged and nodded, and so the soldiers brought father and daughter before the king.

Just like the time the old Daphnes had asked King Link for help, so was the young king seated on his throne. But this time his face showed not the patient compassion it had held back then. It was not just the old farmer and his beautiful daughter who were before the king; there stood also a man flanked by two guards and sweating from worry. Close to him stood an old woman with a boy just a year short of being a man.

"Daphnes Nohansen," the young king's voice was not that of a kind ruler, but that of a stern judge. Young Zelda was alarmed to see him hold up the jeweled silver dagger she had found on the field, "Did you sell this silver dagger to this merchant here?"

Sudden fear gripped poor Daphnes, and panic drove him to make a fatal mistake, "No, I did not!"

The fair Zelda was shocked to hear her father lie. "Father! No!"

"What?!" The man flanked by the two guards shouted, "Your majesty, no! He lies, he sold it to me!"

"No! I have never seen that dagger!"

"Father!"

"ENOUGH!" The king's order brought order back at once, "Daphnes Nohansen. This merchant claims that earlier this day you came into his shop and sold him this silver dagger here." The young king's voice allowed nothing but the truth, "Did you do so?"

The old Daphnes could not meet the king's piercing gaze, "N-no..."

"Father..." the fair Zelda tried again.

The young king turned to the old woman and the young man beside her. "Is he the old man you spoke of? Is he the one who sold his man here this dagger."

The old lady nodded, "Yes, your majesty, he is. I was there when he sold the dagger to the merchant. They spent a good long time arguing over the prize. My nephew here saw it as well."

The young king nodded, "You have my gratitude madam."

Then he turned back face to the old Daphnes, "Well, what do you have to say for yourself?"

The old Daphnes gave no reply. He was too shocked and too frightened.

"Search him."

The king's guards did as they were ordered, and they brought King LInk a small pouch full of rupees. Not just green ones, but red and blue ones as well.

"How did you come by all this money?" The king asked, "Not too long ago you and your daughter came to me, in need of work and a place to stay. You said that Ganondorf's raiders had robbed you of everything you had, and I sent you to the landlord Talon. I heard he treats you both well, but struggles himself to pay for his needs. I gave you a field not three days ago, but you haven't sold it, and you could not possibly have brought in a harvest. So how did you come to own such a fortune?"

The young king let Old Daphnes feel the weight of his words before he continued.

"Did you sell this silver dagger to the merchant here?"

The old farmer numbly nodded.

The young king's stern gaze softened slightly, "How did this dagger come into your possession?"

"My daughter found it yesterday. It was buried in the field you gave us." Old Daphnes replied in a broken voice.

Again, the young king fixed the old farmer with a stern gaze.

"Do not try to deceive me again, Daphnes Nohansen," he warned, "Now, tell me truly: How did this dagger come into your hands?"

The old Daphnes' head snapped up, shock and confusion written all over his face.

His smart daughter though realized what was happening and hurried to speak, "Your highness, my father speaks the truth! I myself uncovered the dagger and lifted it from the ground!"

But the young king paid her no heed, "Enough, for the last time, Daphnes Nohansen, how did you get your hands on my uncle's, the late King's, dagger?!"

But the poor old Daphnes knew not what to say to convince the young king, and neither did his fair daughter.

"Very well then," spoke the young king, "If you do not wish to tell me the truth, then you shall be held accountable for the theft of my family heirloom."

"Your majesty wait!" tried the fiar Zelda again, "I'm begging you! We are telling you the truth! We did not steal the dagger! It truly was buried in the field!"

The young king looked unbelieving. But even so he said, "Very well then. I shall be merciful and forgive everything..."

Both father and daughter breathed out in relief and silently praised the king.

"...if you return the sheath to me without any trouble."

Once again, father and daughter did not know what to say.

"The sheath was stolen as well?" asked the fair Zelda in dismay.

The young king was visibly displeased, "You mean you now claim to have found the dagger, but not the sheath? Every sword, every dagger comes with a sheath!"

Once more, father and daughter could give the king no answer.

"Take him to the dungeons."

Two guards grabbed the old Daphnes by the arms to lead him out of the hall. Father and daughter sorrowfully looked at looked at each other, and they held their sad gaze until the guards and the old farmer had gone passed the doors, after which shut closed.

For a while, the poor Zelda looked at the doors through which her poor old father had been led. Then she turned to face the king again. Her face streaked with tears.

"Why are you doing this to us? I lost my mother when she brought me into the world, and now you take my father from me, the only family I have left."

The young king knew her pain too well, "I bear neither you no ill will, and neither do I your father. And I truly regret what I have done. But a crime has been committed and I have to carry out Nayru's justice."

"But my father didn't steal the dagger!" the fair Zelda insisted.

"Truth be told, I do not take your father for a thief either," the young king admitted, "But this silver dagger was stolen from my uncle. And we do not know by whom. For over a year, this dagger has been missing, and now, of a sudden, the dagger appears in the hands of your father. And what did your father do with this dagger? He sold it even though it was not truly his to sell. And when I asked him if he was the one who sold the dagger to the merchant, he lied and denied having done so. Next he claims that you found the dagger buried in the very field I gave you, but I know for a fact that this dagger, with its sheath, was stolen. Had your old father not lied to me I would have chosen to trust his unlikely words, but as it is, I cannot trust his word, and now I have to punish him for his lies and assume that he is somehow involved in the theft of my family heirloom."

"But what of my words? Why would you not trust in them?" the fair Zelda persisted.

"Any loving parent would lie to save his child. And any loving child would do the same to save their parent," was the king's response.

The fair Zelda said nothing; her tears spilled again. Seeing the beautiful maiden weep like that, the young king gave in to his heart.

"Come forward, fair Zelda."

The pretty maid did as told. The young king leaned forward and looked straight into her eyes.

"Tell me truly… Did your father steal this silver dagger?"

The fair Zelda faced him with all honesty, "No, my king."

"Was this dagger truly buried in the field I gave you?"

"Yes, my king."

The young king continued to stare at her face, searching for any sign of dishonesty.

"You seem sincere..." he finally said, "If what you say is true, then there is a way that you can prove your father's innocence."

"What must I do your highness?" She asked though she felt she already knew the answer.

"Find the sheath and bring it to me," was the young king’s reply, "If your words are true, then the sheath must be somewhere on your field. As of late, bublins have been seen riding across Hyrule's fields, so I am assigning a number of soldiers to watch over all the farmers who work out in the fields. To you, fair Zelda, I will assign one of my most loyal and trustworthy men. When you find the sheath on the ground, show it to my man so that he can testify that the sheath was truly buried on your field. Once you have shown him, bring the sheath to me. Once you have done so, and once my soldier has verified your words, I will forgive your father for his lies and I will set him free.

Furthermore, I will allow your father to keep the money he gained from selling my dagger, and I will pay both you and your father an indemnity for the unjust imprisonment of your father."

The fair Zelda nodded.

"I shall bring you the sheath, your highness. But until I do," she had to make that demand, "please do not hurt my father."

The young king smiled assuringly, "You need not fear; I never intended to harm him. I merely have to keep him because by his actions he has marked himself as a suspect. But I have no real proof against him, and Nayru forbids me to pass judgment on a man that may very well be innocent.

No harm will come to your father while I hold him. None shall hurt him, and he will be given regular meals, but until he is cleared off all suspicion, I cannot allow him to walk freely."

Again the fair Zelda nodded. But there was one last thing she had to ask. "May I visit my father until I find the sheath?"

The young king took a moment to consider it. Then he nodded.

"You may. You may visit him anytime you wish. But only during the day. And you are not allowed to enter his cell. Nor will he be brought out to see you. And two guards will always be present when you see him. You may bring him food and clothes, but nothing else."

The fair Zelda nodded once more. "I understand your highness. May I see my father now, before I go?"

"You may."

And the young king called over one of the guards to lead her into the dungeons, to her father.

Soon she was there.

"My child..." said the old Daphnes as he rose in his dark prison cell.

"Father..." said the fair Zelda sadly, "Oh, why did you sell the dagger? Why did you lie to the king?"

The old Daphnes sighed sorrowfully, "I am so sorry, child. You were right all along, and I should have listened to you. But after working so hard for all these years, only to lose our farm, I felt I deserved to do with the dagger as I pleased. And when the king put me to the question, I panicked and lied to save myself..." the old Daphnes sighed again in regret, "Maybe I do deserve to rot here in this cell..."

"Father, no! Do not say that!" the fair Zelda hurried to comfort him, "You may have acted wrong but you do not deserve to be imprisoned. Do not lose hope. The king wishes you no ill. He merely has to keep you because by your actions you marked yourself a suspect. He has promised me that he will release you as soon as I prove your innocence. Be patient Father and do not lose hope. I will set you free."

Hearing his daughter warmed the old Daphnes' heart. But there was one thing that troubled him, "But how will you prove my innocence child?"

The fair Zelda looked down, "…I have to find the sheath to the silver dagger..."

At once hope deserted the old Daphnes, "But child, we already _have_ searched for the sheath. We have searched the whole field. And we have searched for hours!"

"Fear not, Father..." spoke the fair Zelda with determination, "I will find the silver sheath.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please review and comment. All forms of reviews, comments and criticisms are very welcomed and appreciated.  
> If you do not have the time to leave behind such, a numerical ratings from 0-10 will suffice just as well.  
> 10 = PERFECTION!  
> 9 = Awesome!  
> 8 = Very good!  
> 7 = Good  
> 6 = Nice  
> 5 = Not too bad  
> 4 = Not so good  
> 3 = Bad  
> 2 = Why did you post this?  
> 1 = Why the hell did you even bother write this?!  
> 0 = Delete this shit… NOW!


	3. The missing sheath

When the fair Zelda returned to the farm the burly landlord Talon and his daughter, the good Malon, were already anxiously waiting for her.

"Zelda, dear child," spoke the burly landlord, "What happened? Where is your old father?"

"Oh Master Talon," fought the poor Zelda hard to not cry, "What happened was this..."

And she told the landlord and his daughter everything. She told them about the jeweled silver dagger, about her father's folly, and about the king's decree.

"What an awful thing to happen," said the landlord Talon, "Pity on your father, the poor old fellow..."

"Indeed, pity on him, and on you too, poor Zelda." Agreed his daughter, "So your father's fate rests now on that sheath?"

"Yes, so the king has said," answered the poor Zelda.

"I will help you," said at once the good Malon, "I will help you find the sheath dear Zelda. As soon as I did my duties on our farm, I will go to your field and help you search."

"I too will help you whenever possible," said the landlord, "I will just have my worker Ingo take care of the farmwork."

"Thank you Master Talon, and thank you dear Malon" said the fair Zelda. Then an idea occurred to her, "But before you join me on my field, could you help me do something else?"

"What would you have us do?" asked the burly landlord.

To which the wise Zelda answered, "Go see the farmers who own the fields next to my father's. Tell them of the jeweled dagger I found on my field, and tell them that the matching sheath may be buried on their fields. Tell them that the sheath belongs to the king, and tell them that he offers a reward to whoever returns it to him. But tell them also that the sheath was stolen and that when they find the sheath, they must not lift it. Tell them that first they must call one of the soldiers of the king and show him the sheath as it lies in the soil. Only then may they lift the sheath from the ground and bring it to the king; lest they too rouse the king's suspicion. Finally, tell them that no matter what, they must not sell the sheath, lest they too find themselves in the dungeons. Tell them of my father's folly and where it led him."

"But will the king release your father if someone other than you brings him the sheath?" asked her, her good friend Malon.

"He will," responded the wise Zelda, "It matters little whether I find the sheath on my field or whether another farmer finds it on his. Once the sheath is found buried on a field, the king will have to trust my words, that the dagger was buried on my field."

"How smart you are for your age!" exclaimed the burly Talon, "Can you think of any other way that might save your father?"

The wise Zelda took a moment to think. "We could speak to the merchants in town," she said, "We ask them if anyone has sold them a jeweled sheath without its dagger. We tell them about the king's dagger, how it was stolen and how its sheath is missing. Then we tell them about my father's folly, how unwise it'd be to keep or sell that stolen sheath. And we tell them of the reward the king offers for the return, and tell them that returning the sheath would be their wisest course of action, lest they risk being thrown into the king's dungeons."

The burly landlord scratched his baldening head. "But how would that help your father, child?"

"If one of the merchants were to bring the sheath to the king, he would want to know how the merchant came to have it," explained the wise Zelda, "And regardless of how the sheath came to the merchant, it will not have come from my father. The merchant's words would prove that my father never stole the sheath, and then the king would have to believe me when I tell him that my father never stole the dagger either."

"Zelda dear, how smart you are!" exclaimed the good Malon, "Fear not, tomorrow we will do just as you said!"

But the wise Zelda thought otherwise, "No, do not. Tomorrow, please just search on my field for the sheath. Meanwhile I shall go and see the king again, for I have not made my plans known to him. He offered me a reward, but he did not agree to reward another. Only when he agrees to do so shall we tell the farmers and the merchants of the sheath."

The next day while the burly landlord Talon and his good daughter searched on her field, the fair Zelda went to see the young king and tell him of her plans.

And the young king was bemused but impressed.

"How smart you are to come up with a scheme such as this," he said with a smile, "I see no fault in it and I shall go with it."

The fair Zelda bowed. "Thank you your highness."

"But," the young king added, "If someone else brings me the sheath, then I'd have to give him the reward I have promised you." The young king looked at her closely, "Does that not bother you?"

At once she said, "I care not for the reward. If the man proves my father's innocence I will happily let him have it."

"Then so it shall be," the young king replied with a pleased smile, "go to your field and search for the sheath. Worry not about the farmers and the merchants; I will send my heralds for you to let them know."

For the first time in those two sad days the fair Zelda smiled again, "Thank you my lord."

…

The young king was true to his word: that selfsame day his heralds rode through the town and through the fields and announced that the young king was looking for the sheath that matches his uncle's dagger, and whoever found him the sheath, would receive a generous reward.

That selfsame day, all the farmers who owned the fields surrounding that of the fair Zelda set out to find the jeweled sheath. In their eagerness they uprooted the crops they had just sown, and dug deeper and deeper. That selfsame day, all the merchants in town started filing into the castle. In their cupidity they brought with them every sheath they could find and as many as they could carry.

Day after day, the fair Zelda, the burly landlord Talon, and his daughter the good Malon dug and searched in her field for as long as they could.

Day after day, the young king entertained as many merchants as he could.

Days passed and turned into weeks but the sheath did not turn up.

The farmers dug in their fields but found nothing but soil and earth.

The merchants went to the castle but were sent home one after the other.

Soon, the farmers were sowing seeds again.

Soon, the merchants were selling goods again.

Soon, the young king was governing the land again.

Soon, the burly landlord Talon and the good Malon were working on their farm again.

And soon, although his fair daughter went on to search for the sheath and came to see him every day, the poor old Daphnes lost all hope.

But then the next day, one of the guards came to see the young king.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well? Anyone want to take a guess what the guard came to tell our young king?  
> Please review and comment. All forms of reviews, comments and criticisms are very welcomed and appreciated.  
> If you do not have the time to leave behind such, a numerical ratings from 0-10 will suffice just as well.  
> 10 = PERFECTION!  
> 9 = Awesome!  
> 8 = Very good!  
> 7 = Good  
> 6 = Nice  
> 5 = Not too bad  
> 4 = Not so good  
> 3 = Bad  
> 2 = Why did you post this?  
> 1 = Why the hell did you even bother write this?!  
> 0 = Delete this shit… NOW!


	4. The lament

"What is it Master Warden?" asked the young king, "Why have you come up from the dungeons to see me?"

"Your highness," the old guard answered, "I worry about our prisoner, the old farmer with the dagger."

"You mean the old Daphnes? What is wrong with him? Has he gotten ill?" asked the young king, for he had not forgotten the promise he had made to the fair Zelda, that no harm would come to her father while the young king held him.

"Aye, it is him I speak of, your highness," answered the warden, "And aye, the old man is getting ill. He barely eats and hardly sleeps. Very soon, and he will be very ill indeed."

"We mustn't let that happen!" declared the young king at once, "Bring his daughter, the fair Zelda, here at once! Have them spend the whole day together. They may even walk through the castle gardens if need be."

"Ah yes, his daughter..." spoke the old guard, "I think the old fellow is getting ill in mind as well. He keeps talking of his daughter. He keeps mumbling and rambling and in his moans he speaks of her again and again."

"He probably misses her, I imagine," mused the young king.

"I do not think so, milord. What he says does not sound like it."

"What does he say?"

"He keeps saying, 'Why did I not listen to my daughter? Why did I not heed her words? If only I had listened to her, I'd still be a free man.'"

The young king was intrigued by what he heard, "What did she tell him? What did she warn him of? Did you ask him?"

The old guard shook his head, "Nay, milord, I did not. I thought t'was just another prisoner's lamenting."

"Bring the old farmer to me," ordered the king, "I wish to know what it is his daughter warned him of."

 

…

When the old farmer was brought before him, the young king was startled by what he saw. The old Daphnes had not spent a month in the dungeons yet it looked as though the old farmer had been imprisoned for years.

"By the goddesses, old Daphnes what happened to you?" The young king's concern was nothing but sincere, "Have my guards mistreated you? Have they not brought you your meals? Tell me truely, have no fear."

The old Daphnes shook his head wearily, "No, you highness. Your guards have not hurt me. And as for my meals; they brought me each and every one." The old farmer sighed mournfully, "It is merely the knowledge that I am to spent all of my remaining years inside your dungeons that kills me..."

"By the goddesses, Good Daphnes!" exclaimed the young king, "What made you think that I'd keep you in my dungeons for the rest of your days?! I have told you before that I merely keep you here because of your lies and because you are the only suspect I have!"

Once again, the old farmer sighed sorrowfully, "Oh if only I had listened to my daughter..."

"Ah yes, it is for this that I have called you, Old Daphnes," the young king asked before the old farmer could sink deeper into hopelessness, "My warden tells me that you keep saying the same thing over and over; that you should have listened to your daughter and that you should have heeded her words. What is it the fair Zelda has told you? What is it she warned you of?"

Hopelessness has crushed the poor Daphnes' spirit. But it was thanks to this that this time no panic clouded his judgement and no folly swayed his tongue. And so the old farmer simply recalled what had happened on his field when his daughter found the jeweled silver dagger, just the way it had happened.

"She had told me that I must not sell the dagger, for she had feared that it had been stolen," the old Daphnes sighed again, "Oh how right she was. I should not have sold the dagger. I should have done just as she had told me..."

"Wait," the young king cut in, "Your daughter knew right then and there, when she found it, that the dagger had been stolen?"

"No, your highness," answered the old Daphnes, "She did not know it, but she reasoned it out on her own."

"How did she deduce that the dagger was stolen?"

"When my daughter found the dagger, it was not in its sheath. So she bade me to help her look for it, for she said that every sword, every dagger comes with a sheath to match. We spent hours digging in the ground, and we went through the whole field, but we did not find the sheath. This troubled my fair daughter. She knew that such a jeweled silver blade could have only belonged to a nobleman, and she knew it would surely have had a sheath to match it. But since we found it on our field without its sheath my daughter feared that it had been stolen. She thought that mayhap a thief had silently drawn it from its sheath, off the belt of a careless noble, though she could not explain how the dagger then came onto the field you gave us."

The young king looked thoughtful for a moment, "You said that you should have done as the fair Zelda had advised you to do. What did she advise you to do?"

"She told me to bring the dagger to you, my lord," the old Daphnes said simply, "She told me to show you the dagger, tell you how we have gotten hold of it, and then give it to you so that it may find its rightful owner."

Had the young king not witnessed himself proof of the fair Zelda's smart mind, he may not have believed the old farmer again. But since he had, the young king could not help but to give his words serious thought.

"Your story sounds believable," the young king said at last, "If what you say is true, there may be another way that your daughter can prove your innocence..."

The young king took a good moment to think everything over.

Then he spoke to the two guards who flanked the old Daphnes. "Take the old man to the castle gardens and let him walk and enjoy himself for a bit… but do not let him out of your sight!"

The young king then called for a valet. "Go to the farm of the landlord Talon and ask for the daughter of the old Daphnes, the fair Zelda. Tell her to come here at once, for her father is growing ill and he needs to see her."

The servant bowed and left at once to do as he was told.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please review and comment. All forms of reviews, comments and criticisms are very welcomed and appreciated.  
> If you do not have the time to leave behind such, a numerical ratings from 0-10 will suffice just as well.  
> 10 = PERFECTION!  
> 9 = Awesome!  
> 8 = Very good!  
> 7 = Good  
> 6 = Nice  
> 5 = Not too bad  
> 4 = Not so good  
> 3 = Bad  
> 2 = Why did you post this?  
> 1 = Why the hell did you even bother write this?!  
> 0 = Delete this shit… NOW!


	5. The riddle

It was not long before the valet returned, accompanied by the fair Zelda. The young king called back the old Daphnes and at once his daughter rushed over to him. But only to reprimand him.

"Father, why wouldn't you listen to me?" the fair Zelda berated her father, "I told you not to give up hope. Have you no faith in me? Believe me, Father, I will find the sheath. Trust me, I will set you free."

"My dear child," said the old Daphnes sorrowfully, "How can I trust your words when you yourself cannot? Every day you have come to visit me, and every day you struggle harder and harder to contain your tears. And every day I saw the helplessness grow in your eyes. You know it, just as I do, though you refuse to admit it: the sheath is no one's field, and no one will find it..."

The poor Zelda struggled not to cry, "Father..."

"It may no longer matter whether the sheath is found or not," cut in the young king, "As I have told you both before, I merely keep you, old Daphnes, because you have marked yourself a suspect, and I had not enough proof of your innocence. Which is why I had your daughter search for the sheath. It has been weeks now that the fair Zelda and many others have searched for it. But just as the sheath hasn't turned up, so has no evidence come to me that proves your guilt. While I cannot say for certain that you are innocent, I have no proof of your guilt. Nayru's laws forbid me to pass judgment on a man who is not proven guilty, and Nayru's grace demands that I do not keep a man prisoner if he may as well be innocent."

The fair Zelda rounded on the young king almost angrily, "Why then have you kept my father prisoner all these weeks?"

The young king was surprised to see such fierceness from such a gentle maid, "Back then the evidence I had pointed to your father being guilty. While I mustn't pass a sentence on an innocent, I cannot allow a lawbreaker escape justice. So I decided to keep your old father just for long enough to gather more evidence so that I may come to a final decision about him. But it is not for that reason alone that I sent your father to the dungeons. While I cannot say for certain whether the old Daphnes is guilty of the theft of my dagger, I can say for certain that he has lied to me."

"Surely that alone does not warrant weeks or even just days of imprisonment," argued the fair Zelda.

"That depends on the kind and amount of damage the lie could have caused," replied the young king.

Then he turned to her father, "Tell me old Daphnes, do you remember the merchant to whom you sold my jeweled silver dagger?"

"Yes my lord."

"Is he a friend of yours or has he done you some wrong?"

"I have known him for many a good year, but never has he wronged me. He has always given me a fair price."

"Well then, old Daphnes, are you aware that your lie could have sent your friend into the dungeons?" the young king took notice of the shocked expressions of both father and daughter and went on, "Your lie would have marked him as a suspect, though he is every bit as innocent as you claim to be. Had the old lady and her nephew not spoken on his behalf I would have had to send him into the dungeons. And then, what could have his family done for him? What could they have said in his defense?"

The fair Zelda said nothing, and the old Dapnes hung his head in shame.

"Do you two understand now why his lie cost the old Daphnes so dearly?" asked the young king, "As I have told you before, I bear neither of you any ill will, but as I am the king, I am bond to follow Nayru's law and to carry out her justice. But now, I think enough time has passed, and your father has been imprisoned long enough, though law dictates that he is to remain here longer."

"How much longer has my father to stay?" asked then the fair Zelda.

The young king took a moment to remember, "Several days more, a little less than a week."

"That is not so long," said the old Daphnes, "I have already endured several weeks in the dungeons; I will just endure this last one before my freedom."

"Indeed, one week is not long a time," agreed the fair Zelda. But there was something that caused her worry, "But Father, from now on you must eat all your meals and get a good night's sleep every day or else your illness will grow worse. I will go back to the farm and fetch you some warm clothes and a thick blanket, and also some good herb tea."

"Actually, there is a way I could release your father this day, fair Zelda," said the young king, catching the attention of both father and daughter.

The young king then spoke to the fair Zelda, "Your father told me that when you found the dagger, you immediately sent out to find the sheath, for you knew that it should have been close by since every sword, every dagger comes with a sheath. He also told me that when it failed to turn up you knew, by your wits alone, that the dagger was stolen," The young king looked at her closely, "Did you truly do so?"

"Yes, my lord," the fair Zelda answered honestly.

"Your father also told me that you warned him not to sell the dagger and that you advised him to instead bring it to me... Did you do so?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Well then, let me put you to the test... When I ordered your father to be taken into the dungeons, I could not trust your word when you spoke on his behalf. I could not do so because it is plain to see that you do love your father dearly, and I had no guarantee that you would not lie to me to save him. Which is why I had you search for the missing sheath. But now there is another way that you can show that there is truth to your story. Both you and your father claim that you, the fair Zelda, were smart enough to deduce on your own that the jeweled silver dagger was stolen. Now, I am inclined to believe you, for you have already shown me proof when you asked me to offer the reward I promised you not just to you but anyone who could bring me the sheath; and in doing so, you had many farmers and merchants, unknowingly I must say, help you in your efforts to release your father. Prove your intelligence to me once more and I shall hold it true that you are as smart as you both claim you to be. Once you have shown me that your claim is true and that your words are honest I shall trust your word and release your father as you wish," the young king's eyes were almost challenging, "Do you agree to this, Fair Zelda?"

The prudent Zelda asked first, "What is it that I must do to prove my wits, my lord?"

The young king smiled and answered, "I will tell you a riddle, and you are to solve it, and I require you to solve it before sunset. The sooner you solve it, the sooner your father walks free."

"Very well, your highness," responded the fair Zelda, "Tell me your riddle and I will solve it."

Once more the young king smiled. Then he slowly recited the riddle.

"Come to me, not dressed, not naked,

Come to me, not walked, not carried,

Come to me, not ridden, not driven,

Come to me, not on the path, not off it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please review and comment. All forms of reviews, comments and criticisms are very welcomed and appreciated.  
> If you do not have the time to leave behind such, a numerical ratings from 0-10 will suffice just as well.  
> 10 = PERFECTION!  
> 9 = Awesome!  
> 8 = Very good!  
> 7 = Good  
> 6 = Nice  
> 5 = Not too bad  
> 4 = Not so good  
> 3 = Bad  
> 2 = Why did you post this?  
> 1 = Why the hell did you even bother write this?!  
> 0 = Delete this shit… NOW!


	6. The king's reasons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wait! Stop!  
> If you started reading this story before January 30, 2019(!) then I suggest you reread the story... I changed all the first 5 chapters.

The young king recited once more the riddle,

"Come to me, not dressed, not naked,

Come to me, not walked, not carried,

Come to me, not ridden, not driven,

Come to me, not on the path, not off it."

The fair Zelda listened carefully so that not one word would escape her mind. Then she quietly recited the riddle to herself,

"Come to me… not dressed, not naked…

Come to me… not walked, not carried…

Come to me… not ridden, not driven…

Come to me… not on the path, not off it…?"

While she recited the riddle, the fair Zelda already made efforts to unravel it. But the last words passed her lips, and still no ideas came to her mind.

"Would you like me to recite the riddle once more?" offered the young king.

The fair Zelda numbly shook her head.

The young king smiled and said, "The riddle requires you to come to me; so first you must leave the castle. Lady Impa!"

At the young king's call a knight with fair hair stepped forward. At first glance, some might have mistaken the knight for a man, but the knight called Impa was a lady knight, a woman some good years older than the young Zelda was.

"Fair Zelda, this woman here is Lady Impa. Her family has served the royal family loyally for many generations," introduced the young king the lady knight, "I myself have been under her care when I was a little boy; and I trust her words like no one else's. She will accompany you and stay with you until you have solved the riddle."

"Whatever for, your highness?" wanted the fair Zelda to know.

To which the young king answered, "Just as you have deduced on your own that the jeweled silver dagger was stolen, so must you now deduce on your own the answer to this riddle. If someone else helps you solve the riddle or tells you the answer itself, you fail and your father spends his last week inside the dungeons. It is for this purpose that the Lady Impa will accompany you. Throughout the day she will be near you, close enough to hear every word that is spoken between you and others, and if she hears you asking another for the answer or if she hears another tell it to you, she will come to me and tell me. Do not attempt to walk away from her either, for even if you manage to answer the riddle on your own, if the Lady Impa has not been there, she cannot confirm your claim and then it I cannot, once again, trust your word. After all," concluded the young king, "this very test is to see if your claims are true."

The fair Zelda nodded, "I understand your highness."

The young king nodded in return, "Very well then, step outside now; you won't solve the riddle here. If you need to hear the riddle again, just ask the Lady Impa, she knows the riddle by heart."

The fair Zelda bowed and left the hall, with the lady knight, the Lady Impa right behind her.

…

Once she was outside, the fair Zelda sighed woefully; "Oh Din, Nayru, and Farore... Why are you so cruel to me? Whatever have I, or my father, done to deserve your ire?"

"Do not hold the goddesses to account for a grim fate of your own making!" reprimanded her the stern Impa, "Had your father not lied to the king, and in a manner such as to endanger and dishonor an innocent, honest man, he'd still be a free man."

The poor Zelda moaned pitifully, "Oh Father, why did you not listen to my words? Why did you not just do as I advised you? ... but tell me this, knightly lady, why does the king set all these demands upon me? I am but a poor farmer's daughter. Does the king not know mercy? Does he have no pity?"

"If it is compassion and kindness that you seek then I swear upon my knight's honor that no one possesses more than our young king other than the goddess Farore herself, Fair Zelda."

"Then why is he so harsh to me and my father? Does he not trust the common folk, his own people?" asked the fair Zelda as they started towards Hyrule's castle town.

"What you say is true. The king is being harsh and strict. But that is not because he favors the nobility over the common folk. He is strict because he has to be." explained the stern Impa, "Right now our kingdom is weak. The vile Ganondorf has inflicted much pain upon Hyrule and her people. Homes have been ruined, crops have been burned, livestock has been slaughtered... It is a hard time we have to live through, and many are uncertain and fearful for their lives and future... and some resort to deceit and treachery to sustain their lives. Our king is also young and was crowned before his time, and many question that he sits on the throne. Some believe that they can benefit from him and his inexperience. Our young king has not ruled for long, but already people have tried to enrich themselves by deceiving him, and although he has brought them all to justice, some still try him."

"Furthermore," added the fair-haired lady, "Keep in mind that our late king, our young king’s uncle and only family, died because of deceit and treachery."

The fair Zelda thought over the lady knight's words.

"Our king is a kind and compassionate young man, but as of now and as our king he cannot allow himself to be too trusting, nor to be too kind. More than half of Hyrule's people have lost all they possessed; they have no homes, no belongings, and no food. So the king is trying his best to provide all for them from the castle's treasury. But since our people cannot pay their taxes, and will not be able to for a good long time, the king must be most cautious; if he purchases too much or does not see to it that the goods are distributed fairly and wisely, then countless innocent lives may be lost even now after surviving the vile Ganondorf's war."

After a good moment of silence the fair Zelda decided to ask, "So the king did not want any of this? Just like me and my father?"

The stern Impa shook her head, "No, he wanted nothing to happen to you _or_ your old father. And he feels sorry for you as well. That is why he had you search for the missing sheath; so that this sad matter can finally be resolved."

The fair Zelda sighed again, "Yet this riddle he set upon me is rather confusing. If you take the lines as they are, the riddle would be impossible to solve."

To her surprise, the stern Impa smiled at the fair Zelda, "Fear not, fair Zelda, the king would not ask you to solve an impossible task; our king is just and fair and he'd never do such a thing. While the riddle is indeed tricky to solve, I do not believe that our king chose it merely to test you."

The pretty maiden looked at her questioningly, "What do you mean milady?"

The stern Impa continued to smile, "I believe the king chose this particular riddle for you because he knows that you will solve it."

The fair Zelda looked up in surprise, "Whatever makes you say that, good Lady?"

The lady knight's smile grew teasing, "I have known our king since he was a little boy, and he has never shown much interest in women. All he ever dreamt about was going on adventures. But it seems to me that you intrigue him. I even dare say that he has taken a liking to you."

The fair Zelda did not know how to respond. But the knowledge that the king had given her a riddle that he knew she could solve brought her comfort.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please review and comment. All forms of reviews, comments and criticisms are very welcomed and appreciated.  
> If you do not have the time to leave behind such, a numerical ratings from 0-10 will suffice just as well.  
> 10 = PERFECTION!  
> 9 = Awesome!  
> 8 = Very good!  
> 7 = Good  
> 6 = Nice  
> 5 = Not too bad  
> 4 = Not so good  
> 3 = Bad  
> 2 = Why did you post this?  
> 1 = Why the hell did you even bother write this?!  
> 0 = Delete this shit… NOW!


	7. The unraveled riddle

By now, the farmer's daughter and the lady knight had come to the market of Hyrule castletown. At all sides and corners merchants were shouting and advertising their goods. The fair Zelda paid them no attention; her mind was still troubled by thoughts of her poor father, but mostly by king's riddle.

"Come to me... not dressed, not naked... How can this be? If you are not dressed, then you cannot be anything but naked. And if you are not naked, you must be, at least in manner, in some place, dressed."

The pretty maid sighed; she had been thinking of little else but the first part of the riddle, yet still no ideas had come to her mind. Her eyes swept over all the stalls, yet she practically saw nothing before her.

All of a sudden she halted and her eyes widened. Then her face broke into a joyful smile. As fast as her feet could carry her, she ran over to one of the many stalls.

The stern Impa stood for a moment and looked where the pretty maid was headed. Then she smiled, and soon the lady knight made to follow the farmmaid.

"Hello there young lady," greeted the fishmonger the fair Zelda. The brown-haired fisherwoman in the overalls gestured to her fish, "Would you like some fat Hyrule bass? Or how about this hylian pike here? It's quite large for its age and it was quite strong so it's got good meat on it."

But the fair Zelda just smiled and shook her head, "No thank you. Your fish look wonderful and I am sure that they would make a lovely meal, but I did not come to you to buy a fish; this is what I came to buy," with that she tugged on what she wanted.

"Huh?" The fisherwoman wasn't sure how to answer, "I wasn't planning on selling that. I only brought it with me because I came straight from Lake Hylia. And I will need it again to catch more fish."

The fair Zelda pulled out three blue rupees, "Here, will this be enough? I really need it."

"Well..." the fishmonger hesitated for a moment, "Alright, that's a good price and I have another."

The fair Zelda smiled and happily gathered up her purchase. Then she went on her way, holding her package close to her chest as though she valued nothing more in this world.

…

With her packet close to heart and with the stern Impa at her side, the fair Zelda happily went on to the farm of the landlord Talon. Cheerful though she was she did not stop thinking about the riddle.

' _Come to me not walked, not carried… so I cannot go to the king on foot, nor can I go to him carried by another…_

_Come to me, not ridden, not driven… I can also not go to him on horseback, and neither can I go to him riding in a cart or carriage…_

_Well then… how do I return to the king?'_  mused the clever farm maid. She continued to think it over as she went on her way. Before long she reached the farm, and although she still had not been able to figure out the second part of the riddle, her good mood held when her friend, the good Malon, and her father, the burly landlord Talon, came over.

"Dear Zelda," said the landlord, "What happened? How is your father?"

Hearing him mention her poor, old father brought back the fair Zelda's worry and sorrow.

"My father has grown ill," replied the sad fair maid, "But thankfully it is not a grave illness. He was more sick in heart than in body."

"Why has he grown ill? Did the king not give you his word that he would treat your father well?"

"The king did, and he has been true to his word, good maid," answered the stern Impa, "It was not neglect that brought low the old farmer but his frail heart and his little faith in his daughter."

"W-who are you?" asked the startled Malon.

"I am called Impa. I am a knight and royal guard to the king," the lady knight introduced herself, "The king has ordered me to watch over the fair Zelda and stand witness as she fulfills the trial the king has set upon her."

"The king has set a trial upon you, dear child?!" asked the burly landlord incredulously, "Whatever mess have you gotten yourself into this time?"

"Fear not, Master Talon, the matter is not as dire or as grave as it may sound," replied the prudent Zelda, "What happened was this…"

And she went on to tell them. She told them how her father had lost hope, how he had mourned and lamented, how his sorrowful words had reached the ears of the king, and how the king had decided to put his words and her wits to the test. And finally, she told them about the riddle the king had set upon her.

"Come to me, not dressed, not naked…

Come to me, not walked, not carried…

Come to me, not ridden, not driven…

Come to me, not on the path, not off it…"

The good Malon could only shake her head.

"What a puzzling riddle this is… I have never heard it before, and I have not the faintest idea how to solve it…" But then the landlord's daughter grew thoughtful, "But wait! Mayhap-"

"No!" the fair Zelda immediately cut her off, "Do not tell me what you think of the riddle! Do not tell me anything that might help me! Or else, I fail this test and my father will have to spend another week within the castle dungeons!"

At once the startled farmmaid clapped her hands over her mouth. After a moment she hesitantly, carefully, spoke again, "…do you think you can solve the riddle?"

"Fear not Dear Malon," answered the wise, fair Zelda with a smile, "I have already unpuzzled the first part of the riddle. "

"The first part?" the good Malon took a moment to remember, "You mean the part that tells you to appear before the king not dressed and not naked?" Seeing her friend nod, the farmmaid continued to ask, "How can you not be dressed and not be naked at the same time? After all, if you are not dressed, you only can be naked."

"The riddle requires you to be creative," explained the wise, fair Zelda, "You mustn't allow your imagination to remain within the boundaries of what is commonly known."

The fair-haired Impa smiled at her words, and the wise Zelda's hand went to undo the chords that bound the package she held together…

When suddenly a scream was heard all over the farm!

"Stop, stop! Stop, you dumb horse! Let me off!"

"Din, Nayru, and Farore," the landlord Talon mumbled, "Whatever is Ingo doing with the red Epona?"

The fair Zelda thought otherwise, "Rather… what is _she_ doing with _him_?"

The burly landlord, the two farmmaids, and the knightly lady watched as a magnificent red mare dashed across the farm, dragging behind her the landlord's unfortunate farmhand. The mare was saddled and bridled… But she was not mounted! Instead, the unfortunate man hung from her side, his foot caught in her saddle's stirrup.

"Don't tell me that fool tried to ride Epona!" exclaimed the landlord Talon, "He knows just as well as us that she lets no one near her aside from my good Malon!"

The desperate man tried to pull his foot out or kick free, but in doing so he only kicked Epona in her side which spurred the mare to run even faster, until the farmhand was flying behind her, much like her tail and mare were waving in the air.

"Come dear Zelda!" said the red-haired Malon, "We must stop her afore she kills him!"

"Wait you two, you mustn't!" held the lady knight back the two maidens, "Do you not see the sheer size of that horse? And look how she runs! She'd run you over like a herd of stampeding bulbos! A fully, grown stag would not dare stand in her path no matter how grand his crown!"

As though to confirm her words, the red mare Epona released a neigh so loud it would have silenced the loudest hound.

"Fear not good Lady," answered the good Malon, "I know how to calm her, no matter how maddened the foolish Ingo may have her," the red-haired farmmaid turned to her friend, "Dear Zelda will you help me?"

The pretty farmer's daughter smiled, "Of course, I'd love to help."

The two maids stepped forward. They took a deep breath and-

**" _E~po~na…_**

**_E~po~na…_ **

**_Lo~yal horse of mine…"_ **

At once the mighty mare halted in her tracks and her ear flicked toward the singing maidens.

**" _You are a pre-cious gift…_**

**_Sent down…_ **

**_From the di-vine…_ **

**…**

**_E~po~na…_ **

**_E~po~na…_ **

**_When you were a foal…_ **

**_I saw the strength deep down…_ **

**_Inside your soul!"*_ **

The two maidens continued to sing and slowly, calmly the mare that had been so wild a mere moment ago was now as tame and gentle as a little lamb. At once the two maids rushed over to the unconscious farmhand. The fair-haired Impa ran with them but couldn't help observe first the great mare before her.

"By the three golden goddesses… Din herself must have brought this horse into this world! She makes the warhorses in the castle seem like shaky little foals!"

She then gave the hurt man her full attention. Though she was a knight and guard to the king, the stern Impa knew much about healing. "This man is quite fortunate… though his hands and arms are badly scrapped; his head is unharmed, safe for this bump here…"

Once more the lady knight gazed up at the grand mare.

"She is so tall and she ran so fast that his head did not touch the ground… Though how her hooves did not catch him I cannot tell."

"True this," said the good Malon, "But we must see to his injuries. Let us bring him into the house so that we can treat him."

So the three women and the burly landlord carried the unconscious man into the house, and there they cleaned his arms, spread healing salve over the scrapes, bound his wounds, and fixed a poultice to his head.

When the tasks were ended, the red-haired Malon noticed her friend, the fair Zelda, was standing at the window, and went to stand beside her.

"What is it dear Zelda?" Looking out the window, the farmmaid saw the red mare Epona peacefully munching on some grass.

The fair maiden turned to her with a brilliant smile.

"I now know all the answers to the riddle! I know now how to go before the king!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> About the song the fair Zelda and the good Malon were singing in this chapter... that wasn't my work. That beautiful poetry was someone else's work, but I do not know his/her name, else I would have placed it here. I hope that person does not mind that I borrowed part of his/her song and changed a couple of words to make it better fit in my story...
> 
> I found those lyrics on youtube, under the name "Epona's Song (with vocals and lyrics)" made by WindWaveProductions.
> 
> All Epona fans check out this music video NOW!  
> Here's the link:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXaCUmFi70w
> 
> Memorize the song, praise it/leave a comment, and sing it whenever you call Epona whenever you play Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, and/or Twilight Princess (and/or Breath of the Wild once it comes out.)
> 
> If you don't; shame on you! May the golden goddesses unleash their full wrath upon you! May Din sap you of all your strength and might and burn you with her flames! May Nayru rob you of your wits and judge you with harshness and cruelty! May Farore reclaim the life she so graciously bestowed upon you!
> 
> And may Epona kick you in the face.
> 
> Kidding aside:  
> Please review and comment. All forms of reviews, comments and criticisms are very welcomed and appreciated. You are also welcome to send me private messages (if you have an account on FFN.)
> 
> If you do not have the time to leave behind such, a numerical ratings from 0-10 will suffice just as well.  
> 10 = PERFECTION!  
> 9 = Awesome!  
> 8 = Very good!  
> 7 = Good  
> 6 = Nice  
> 5 = Not too bad  
> 4 = Not so good  
> 3 = Bad  
> 2 = Why did you post this?  
> 1 = Why the hell did you even bother write this?!  
> 0 = Delete this shit… NOW!


	8. The first answer

"You do?" asked the surprised Malon.

"Yes, dear Malon," said the wise, fair Zelda, "But I need your help. And Epona's as well. Will you help me?"

"Oh, I'd love to help you but I can't," answered the red-haired Malon, "Do you not remember what you told me? The king said that no one is to help you. You have to solve the riddle all by yourself."

"Indeed," said the stern Impa.

The poor Zelda remembered the king's decree and sighed.

"Wait!" said the fair Zelda as realization struck her, "Lady Impa, no one is to help me figure out the riddle; is that true?"

"That is true."

"No one is to tell me anything that could help me unravel the riddle and no one must tell me the answer to the riddle itself. Those were the king's words, were they not?"

"Those were the king's words," confirmed the fair-haired Impa.

"Well, then the good Malon can help me!" exclaimed the wise, fair Zelda, "For she never helped me solve the riddle, and what I will ask of her will be to merely help me make my way to the king. If she merely does as I tell her to and keeps silent along the way, then we won't break any of the conditions the king set upon me!" stated the clever maiden with a crafty smile.

Whatever retort the stern Impa had meant to say died and was never uttered, so amazed was she by the craftiness of the young maiden.

"...You speak truly..." spoke the knightly Impa eventually, "The king merely said that no one is to give you any hints or tell you the answer to the riddle itself. As long as she obeys this, the good Malon, no, everyone is free to help you in any manner!"

The fair Zelda smiled but the good Malon looked worried, "But will the king think so too?"

"He will," assured the stern Impa, "We will just have to remind him of his own words. And I myself will speak up on your behalf if need be."

"Thank you, Lady Impa. Come dear Malon, let us go at once!" said the fair Zelda excitedly, "Oh, could you fetch me first a long cloak?"

"Why would you-oh!" said the red-haired Malon as realization struck her, "Of course, for your father."

"Ah yes, my father..." in her excitement to solve the riddle and save her father, the fair Zelda had nearly forgotten him, "Well then, could you fetch me two cloaks? The other was meant for me."

"Huh? Why would you need a cloak? The season is still warm."

"Malon!"

"Yes, your highness..."

Back then, it was still but a mere jest…

…

The three women left the house and the first thing the wise, fair Zelda had her friend, the good Malon do was lead the red Epona back into the stables. There the big red mare was unsaddled.

"Now I need you to put on her harness," said the wise, fair Zelda. She would have helped or even done it herself, but alas, this was the red Epona. Being the big, wild mare that she was, she may not have let the clever maiden. The red Epona was still merely starting to warm up to the fair Zelda.

The good Malon nodded and got to work. But halfway through her task she remembered something, "Wait dear Zelda. You cannot go to the king by cart! The riddle forbids it!"

The fair Zelda just smiled, "I know. And I won't be using the cart."

"Well then, why am I harnessing our Epona?" wanted the red-haired farmmaid to know, "If I am not going to tie our Epona before the cart, what are we going to tie on her? Surely not the plough?"

The fair Zelda shook her head and said, "Me. You are going to tie me to the red Epona."

"What?!" the farmmaid thought she did not hear her friend right. Then she remembered the farm-helper, the hurt Ingo, "Dear Zelda no! You mustn't!"

"Indeed you cannot do that!" said the stern Impa, "The farmhand was fortunate, but if we tie you behind the mare and we let her fly, her hooves will surely strike you!"

"Indeed," confirmed the wise Zelda, "Which is why I want you to tie me to Epona's side! That way should keep me safe from her hooves."

"But they might still find you!" argued the red-haired Malon.

"It is a risk I am willing to take," answered the fair Zelda, "But as long as you drive the red Epona hard and fast and make sure that she runs in a straight path, I should not come to any harm."

"Dear Zelda-"

"Please dear Malon."

The good Malon sighed, "Very well... What else would you have me do?"

The wise, fair Zelda thought for a moment, "We need a sack filled with stones or sand or anything. It must weigh as much as I do, and we must tie it to Epona's other side or else she may lose her balance as she runs."

Her friend, the good Malon nodded, "What else do we need?"

Again, the wise Zelda took a moment to think, "You would need another horse," said the clever maiden, "Burdened as Epona will be by me and the sack, it would not be fair if we made her carry a rider as well. Methinks it better if you ride another horse and lead Epona as she runs."

So the two maids saddled another two horses, one for the good Malon and one for the stern Impa.

When all was done, the wise Zelda spoke again, "Let us go now and see if this plan of mine works."

…

The wise, fair Zelda led her friends out of and behind the farm to a nearby grove of shrubs and trees, just beside the high fence of the farm.

"Why have you brought us out here now, Dear Zelda?" wanted the curious Malon to know.

"I do not wish to be seen by your father, or any man for that matter, as I put my plan to the test," answered the wise, fair Zelda as she stepped into the bushes.

"What do you mean?" asked the good Malon. Then she cried out in horror, "Dear Zelda! What are you doing?!"

The fair maiden did not stop shedding her clothes, "I am undressing," she simply answered, "The riddle demands that I appear before the king not dressed, so I am taking off my clothes."

"You cannot go before the king naked! Even the riddle says so!" argued the shocked Malon, "And even if it didn't, you still mustn't! What would the people say if you were to march to the king naked?"

The wise, fair Zelda smiled, "That is why I bought this earlier this day."

With that, the fair Zelda held up the packet she had bought from the fish monger and undid it. Then she held up her purchase for the good Malon to see.

"A fishing net?"

Indeed, it was a fishing net, not a small one on a stick but the large kind that would normally be cast out by fishermen.

"What do you intend to do with it?" wanted the good Malon to know.

Smiling, the wise, fair Zelda held on to corner of the net with one hand and with the other she draped the net over her bare shoulders like a cloak.

Then she bade the good Malon, "Take the other end of the net, Dear Malon, and walk around me, 'round and 'round, and wind it around me, 'round and 'round."

The good Malon did as she was told. Again and again she went around her friend, winding the net around her, again and again, until the whole net was wound around the fair Zelda like a cocoon. When her task was done, the good Malon stepped back and observed her friend.

"Come to me..." recited the farmmaid the riddle, "...not dressed..."

The fair Zelda was not dressed indeed, for she had taken off her dress and all her other clothes.

"...not naked..." finished the good Malon her recital.

And indeed, the fair Zelda was not truly naked, for the net covered her like a veil. And yet, it did not truly cover her, the net being nothing but meshwork.

The red-haired Malon marveled at the sight, and also at her friend's cleverness.

"Truly, you are not dressed, you are not naked..."

But her friend's next words filled the red-haired Malon with dread.

"Now tie me on to the red Epona."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please review and comment. All forms of reviews, comments and criticisms are very welcomed and appreciated. You are also welcome to send me private messages (If you have an account on FFN).  
> If you do not have the time to leave behind such, a numerical ratings from 0-10 will suffice just as well.
> 
> 10 = PERFECTION!  
> 9 = Awesome!  
> 8 = Very good!  
> 7 = Good  
> 6 = Nice  
> 5 = Not too bad  
> 4 = Not so good  
> 3 = Bad  
> 2 = Why did you post this?  
> 1 = Why the hell did you even bother write this?!  
> 0 = Delete this shit… NOW!


	9. The remaining answers

"Dear Zelda..."

"Please, Dear Malon, I know what I am doing."

The good Malon sighed and did as her friend bade her. First she gathered a fistful of the net, just above the back of the fair Zelda's shoulders and tied a good, strong knot into it. The fair Zelda then sat down, with quite a bit of difficulty, wrapped as she was, and the good Malon gathered up the length of net that went beyond the fair Zelda's feet and with two good knots bound the net so that the pretty maid would not slip out of her cocoon once the red Epona ran. The good Malon and the stern Impa then helped the fair Zelda up and make her way over to the big red mare. Then the good Malon secured the net to the horse's harness and made doubly sure that it was fast. When all her tasks were done, the red-haired Malon mounted her horse, as did the fair-haired Impa.

"Are you ready?" Asked the red-haired farmmaid the bound girl hanging at the red Epona's side.

"Yes, Dear Malon," said the fair Zelda, "Make her go."

So the good Malon spurred her horse into a walk, while leading the red Epona.

"This will not do," said the wise, fair Zelda after a short while. Her feet were dragging on the ground and leaving a trail. She was clearly on the path, "Make her go faster."

The good Malon urged the horses into a trot.

But that was still not enough.

"Faster, dear Malon."

The horses broke into a gallop.

"Faster, dear Malon! Go faster!"

The farmmaid let the horses fly and at last the fair Zelda's feet went clear off the ground, the pretty maid practically flying in the air. Once in a while her feet would drop back unto the ground, but as soon as they did, the clever maid would quickly leap back into the air.

This way, the fair Zelda not on the path and not off it, she was above it! And tied to the horse as she was, she did not walk, she did not ride and she did not drive. And no one carried her either.

Satisfied, and over-joyed, the clever maiden bade her friend to halt.

"It works beautifully!" exclaimed the wise, fair Zelda with the brightest smile, "Now let us go and free my father!"

But the good Malon looked sad, "I am so sorry, dear Zelda... This won't do. We cannot go like this to the king..."

…

The wise, fair Zelda was bewildered, "What do you mean, dear Malon?! Why can we not go like this and save my father?!"

The good Malon sighed sadly and opened her mouth to speak. But at the last moment she stopped herself. The good Malon turned to ask the knightly Impa.

"Can I tell her, Lady Impa? Will this not give her any hint on how to solve the riddle? Will she not fail the king's test over this?"

The stern Impa thought it over, "Well... you do not intend to give her any hints, do you?"

The red-haired Malon shook her head, "No I don't. I want to help her free her father."

"Well then," answered the stern Impa, "As long as you merely point out why the fair Zelda’s scheme cannot work, I shall overlook this."

"Very well then," replied the good Malon, "Dear Zelda, this will not work. In order for you to fly above the ground Epona has to run as swift as she possibly can, and to do so she has to run on even, flat ground. And she has to run in a straight path. But she cannot run that fast for long! Especially if you consider how burdened she is by you and that sack. At best she can run that fast for a few minutes, but after that she will have tired out and must slow down. She cannot run that fast all the way to the castle.

And there is another problem. There is no straight, level path that leads from here to the castle. There are hills along and on the path, high and low. But most importantly, in order to reach Hyrule castle, you must pass through-"

"Hyrule Castletown!" cried out the fair Zelda in dismay.

The streets of Hyrule Castletown were not straight, they curved and winded. And they were always busy. There were always people bustling on the street! Plenty of them! There was no way that they could dash the horses through the town.

And what the red-haired Malon had said about the red Epona and of the path was true as well. The path had to be straight and the ground had to be level. Any curve or steep slope would slow down Epona and the fair Zelda would be back on the ground, back on the path. More so, any curve along the path would cause the fair Zelda to swing, tied as she was, hanging from Epona's side. And the sack as well. If either swung into the Epona's legs, both the red Epona and the fair Zelda run into the risk of getting seriously hurt. It'd put them both in serious danger.

The poor Zelda fought hard not to cry. She had everything thought out, and everything had worked so perfectly. Or so she had thought. And now she had to think of another way.

But...

 _'I have barely any time left...'_ she thought sadly. It was well past noon and the sun would set in only a few hours _, 'If I do not appear before the king before sunset I will fail his test. The king said so...'_

"Fear not, young Zelda; I shall solve this last problem for you," said the stern, cool Impa.

"You will?" asked the wise, fair Zelda.

"I will, young Zelda, you can leave this matter to me," assured her the stern Impa.

"But will our dear Zelda not fail the King's test if you help her?" asked her the good Malon.

"No she won't," assured her the fair-haired Impa, "Remember, as long as no one tells the fair Zelda how to solve the riddle, or give her any hints how to do so, anyone is free to help her. And all I will do is to simply let the king know that the fair Zelda has devised a way to come before him just as the riddle demands. And I will ask him if he can meet us on the level plain just before the fields of Hyrule, so that he may see for himself, and so that the fair Zelda has not to walk through the whole town, though not naked, not fully dressed either."

The red-haired Malon looked thoughtful, "So you will ask the king to come to us? Does that not go against the riddle?"

"No, it does not," replied the fair-haired Impa, "After all, he wouldn't be coming to us the whole way. He will simply await us at the other end of the plain. The rest of the way, the fair Zelda has to go to him. Besides, the riddle only requires the fair Zelda to come to the king not dressed and yet not naked, not walked and not carried, not driven and not ridden, and not on the path but also not off it. The riddle does not demand of her to make her way through a town full of people."

"But will the king agree to come?" asked the prudent Zelda.

"I am most certain he will," assured her the stern Impa, "Else, you'd have to present yourself, covered only by a net, before the whole town, and the castle guards, and he'd never allow that. Since his early childhood, our king has learned to be courteous and respectful towards women. I made sure of that. But enough of that, good Malon?"

"Yes, Lady Impa?"

"Could you fetch me feather and ink? And a sheet of parchment and a ribbon as well. We mustn't waste any more time."

The red-haired farmmaid hurried back into the big farmhouse and soon returned with ink and feather, and everything else.

The fair-haired Impa quickly wrote a brief message on a sheet on parchment, then tore off the thin strip with the message and rolled it into a tiny scroll. Soon after, the knightly lady went to a patch of weeds and high grasses that grew nearby. Reaching down, she plucked a leaf that, with a little imagination, looked like a soaring bird. She then made a slight split in the leaf and folded it in half, then locked the leaf between her hands, pressed her lips to it and blew.

_Phweeeeeeeeerrrrrr!_

She took her lips from her hands and looked at the sky. Then she blew again.

_Phweeeeeeeeerrrrrr!_

_Kreeeehhhh!_

The two farmmaids watched in amazement as a proud, fierce-looking hawk descended from the sky and the stern Impa held out her arm to him. She was fortunate to still wear her vambrace, for the claws of the hawk need not bow to the claws of the lynx when it comes to sharpness.

Bound to the foot of the hawk was a little tube. In went the tiny scroll that Impa had just written.

"Fly this to the castle," said the fair-haired Impa before lifting her arm and sending the hawk back into the air.

The red-haired Malon approached her, "What now, Lady Impa?"

"Now we wait," replied the fair-haired Impa.

"Better yet," said the wise, fair Zelda, "We prepare to go to the castle should the king not come."

The good Malon nodded, "What shall I do dear Zelda?"

"Take your horse and the Lady Impa's and lead them back to the farm. Tie them before your cart and drive it back here. Then we will load the sack and drive to the castle, leading the red Epona along."

Again the good Malon nodded, "I will do so. Wait you here for me."

With that she mounted her horse, and, leading her by the bridle, led the stern Impa's horse back into the farm. A short while later she returned driving her cart, pulled by two fresh horses. As soon as she reached her friend and the knightly lady, she stepped down and loaded the sack they would later strap to the red Epona unto the cart, with the stern Impa helping her to lift it.

_Kreeeehhhh!_

The stern Impa looked up and searched the sky.

_Kreeeehhhh!_

Seeing the hawk descend, the knightly lady held out her arm once again to him. As soon as the fierce bird was perched on her arm, she reached for the small tube bound to this foot.

"What does it say Lady Impa?" asked her the fair Zelda, "What is the king's answer?"

The stern Impa gave her a broad smile, "The king has boarded a carriage and is on his way to the level plain just before the fields of Hyrule. And he expects you, fair Zelda, to be there and show him how to solve the riddle."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The thing with the hawk was, yes, inspired by the hawkgrass in Twilight Princess (and I sincerely apologize for my following lapse in my sense of professionalism: What a dumb-looking plant!) but also by the Redwall Novel "The Outcast from Redwall" by Brian Jacques, wherein Sunflash the Mace used to call his friend Skarlath just as described above. Who are they? Find the book, buy it, read it, treasure it. If you are into fables and adventure books, you'll thank me for it. As will your children and grandchildren, Eulalia!
> 
> Oh, and you guys better brace yourselves: There's a nasty surprise headed your way! Anyone care to guess?
> 
> Please review and comment. All forms of reviews, comments and criticisms are very welcomed and appreciated. You are also welcome to send me private messages (on FFN if you have an account.)  
> If you do not have the time to leave behind such, a numerical ratings from 0-10 will suffice just as well.  
> 10 = PERFECTION!  
> 9 = Awesome!  
> 8 = Very good!  
> 7 = Good  
> 6 = Nice  
> 5 = Not too bad  
> 4 = Not so good  
> 3 = Bad  
> 2 = Why did you post this?  
> 1 = Why the hell did you even bother write this?!  
> 0 = Delete this shit… NOW!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys, this chapter is rather short; it's one of the original sized ones. But hell, it just didn't feel right to combine it with another to make a longer one.

Not much time had passed when the fair Zelda and her companions arrived at the plain, and not much later a carriage arrived on the other side of it. As soon the driver spotted the two farmmaids and the knightly lady, he halted the horses and climbed down from his high seat. Two maidens in servant clothes stepped out of the carriage. To one he handed his wide-brimmed hat, to the other, his high-collared cloak.

"It is our young king!" exclaimed the fair-haired Impa.

"Are you certain?" asked the red-haired Malon, for although the young man wore fine clothes, he looked nothing like a king. Rather, he looked like the son of some wealthy man.

"I am," assured her the stern Impa, "That is the way our young king used to dress, back when he was merely the king's nephew."

"Why are there no guards with him?" asked the fair Zelda.

"He may not have brought any for your sake, young Zelda," answered the stern Impa, "This way you need not expose yourself to any more men than necessary…besides," added the stern lady knight, "Just give our young king a blade… and he has all the protection he needs."

After a moment, the red-haired Malon spoke up, "Dear Zelda, I think the king is waiting for you. I think he expects you to come to him."

Indeed, the way the young king stood on the road could only be called expectant.

"You are right, dear Malon. Come now. It is time that I pass the king's riddle."

With that, the good Malon took off the cloak on the fair Zelda's shoulders to reveal that she was garbed in nothing but a fishing net. Next, the good Malon secured the net to the harness of the red Epona and made doubly sure that it was fast. Then the good Malon and the stern Impa mounted their horses.

"Are you ready?" asked the red-haired farmmaid the bound girl.

The fair Zelda nodded, "Yes, dear Malon. Lead on Epona."

So the good Malon spurred her horse into a walk, and the red Epona followed her pace.

"You can go faster now dear Malon," said the fair Zelda

"Very well," returned the red-haired Malon and urged the horses into a trot.

"Faster, dear Malon," said soon the fair Zelda.

The red-haired farmmaid urged the horses into a gallop.

"Faster, dear Malon! Go faster!"

"As you wish!" And with that the good Malon let the horses fly and the pretty maid, the wise, fair Zelda swung into the air. Just like the red hair of her friend, the good Malon, the fair Zelda went flying through the air.

Like a flag high up on a tower, the fair Zelda flew over the plain.

Like a banner held high, she flew past the carriage, the maidservants, and the young king.

Soon after, she bade the good Malon to halt the horses, and the red-haired farmmaid made them slow, and then led them back to the king. The red-haired Malon then got off her horse, and the fair-haired Impa too dismounted. Together they freed the wise, fair Zelda from Epona's side and helped the bound maid as she made her way to the king.

"Your majesty," the wise, fair Zelda said with a bow, "Here I am. I have come to you, and I have come to you just the way the riddle dictated. Have I passed your test, my lord? Have I proved myself as smart as my father and I have claimed myself to be?"

But the young king shook his head.

"You have not, fair Zelda. You have failed my test."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please review and comment. All forms of reviews, comments and criticisms are very welcomed and appreciated. You are also welcome to send me private messages (if you have an account on FFN.)  
> If you do not have the time to leave behind such, a numerical ratings from 0-10 will suffice just as well.  
> 10 = PERFECTION!  
> 9 = Awesome!  
> 8 = Very good!  
> 7 = Good  
> 6 = Nice  
> 5 = Not too bad  
> 4 = Not so good  
> 3 = Bad  
> 2 = Why did you post this?  
> 1 = Why the hell did you even bother write this?!  
> 0 = Delete this shit… NOW!


	11. The wise, fair Zelda

The wise, fair Zelda was horrified. The good Malon and the stern Impa too were shocked by the king's declaration.

"How...? Why...?" the fair Zelda struggled to say, "How did I fail your test, your highness?! Where have I gone wrong?!"

The young king was thoroughly unmoved, "I told you, fair Zelda, that not only had you to solve the riddle, you had to solve it by yourself! And yet you had the good Malon help you..."

At once the fair Zelda breathed out in relief. Her dread left her so quickly she nearly fainted.

The young king though did not notice. He had turned to face his knight, the stern Impa.

"Why did you call me out for this? You could have told the fair Zelda then and there that she had failed my test as soon as she had accepted the good Malon's help. Better yet, you could have warned the fair Zelda or stopped the good Malon."

The fair-haired Impa could not help the grin that spread on her face, "Because, my king, while the good Malon did give aid to the fair Zelda, she never broke any of the conditions you set upon the fair Zelda."

The young king eyed her suspiciously, "Whatever do you mean?"

By then the wise, fair Zelda had recovered enough to speak again.

"Your highness, allow me to enlighten you… and remind you," the smile she wore was crafty, but charming, "You decreed that no one must give me any lead that may help me find the answer to your riddle. More importantly, you also decreed that no one must tell me the answer to the riddle itself... But you never decreed that I may not employ the aid of others if they remain silent!"

The young king froze at her words.

By now the wise, fair Zelda's smile had grown into that of a mischievous child, "The scheme, the manner in which I have come to you, my king, was my work of my mind. Mine and mine alone!

No one told me to shed my clothes and wrap myself in a fishing net.

No one told me to tie myself to a horse and have it run at the height of its speed.

No one... and that includes my dear Malon.

She had never heard your riddle before and she knew not the answer to it. And she has never given me any lead on how to solve it either! It is true that I had my dear Malon aid me, but I did not have her help me unravel the riddle. That was me and me alone. It was only when I already knew how to solve your riddle that I asked her for aid. To help me put my plan into action.

You, your highness, decreed that no one is allowed to tell me the answer to your riddle. The good Malon did not do so.

You, your highness, decreed that no one is allowed to give me any lead that may help me figure out the answer to your riddle. My dear Malon did not do so.

What my dear Malon did do, what I bade her to do, was to wrap the fishing net around me and tie to the red Epona, the big mare you see standing there, your highness. What my dear Malon also did, again which I bade her to do, was to lead the red Epona so that she runs swift and straight.

Your highness, you never said that no one may wrap a fishing net around me! You never said that no one may tie me to a horse! You never said that no one may lead on said horse in a straight path for me! You never said that no one may urge said horse to run at the height of its speed! You never said that no one may give me aid other than that of helping me find the answer to your riddle!"

The young king knew not what to say, so astounded was he by her words.

After a while he found his voice again, "Lady Impa?"

"Yes, my lord?"

"Did I say that no one must tell the fair Zelda the answer to the riddle I gave her?"

"Yes, you did, my lord."

"Did I say that no one must tell the fair Zelda any lead that may help her figure out the answer to the riddle?"

"Yes, you did, my lord."

The young king held a brief pause before he asked the next question, "Other than telling her the answer to the riddle or any lead; did I say that no one may give aid to the fair Zelda?"

"No, you did not my lord."

Again the young king paused.

But then the expression on his face changed. From a blank expression, it changed to that of one who had been tricked, yet it had been so skillfully done that he could not help admiring the skill of the trickster.

"Pray tell, Lady Impa... Who was it that realized that the fair Zelda could be aided by anyone in any manner, provided that they remain silent?" Asked the young king, though it was plain to see that he already knew the answer.

"That would be the wise, fair Zelda, my lord."

The young king shook his head; so amazed was he by the pretty maid's cunning mind.

"What a sly woman you are..." he said, "Had the goddesses decreed that I be born a wolf, they would have made you a vixen."

The young king turned to speak to the fair-haired Impa again.

"Very well… did the good Malon tell the fair Zelda the answer to the riddle?" he asked, though it was plain to see that he already knew the answer.

"No, she did not my lord."

"Did the good Malon tell the fair Zelda any lead that helped her devise this scheme of hers?"

"No, she did not my lord."

"Very well, then I shall not fault the aid the good Malon has given to the fair Zelda..."

But then, unexpectedly he turned to face the good Malon.

"Pray tell, fair maid… did the Lady Impa tell the fair Zelda the answer to the riddle?" he asked, much to the bafflement of the stern Impa and the amusement of the fair Zelda.

"No, she did not my lord," answered the good Malon half-giggling.

"Did the Lady Impa tell the fair Zelda any lead that helped her devise this scheme of hers?"

"No, she did not my lord."

"Very well... I shall trust your word, fair maid…" spoke the young king, fully ignoring the affronted look on the Lady Impa’s face.

But then the young king turned to face the fair Zelda again, "Still, let me make sure…"

With that he called over the two maidservants he brought along, "Take that cloak off the fair Zelda's shoulders."

The two maids did as ordered. The young king then looked over the wise, fair Zelda, while walking around her.

"Yes… I can see that you wear no clothes beneath the net that is wrapped around you… and are thus not dressed. But the net covers your body well enough to keep you from being naked..." the young king nodded in a pleased manner, "Yes, you are not dressed, and you are not naked."

The young king then spoke to the red-haired Malon, "Tie her again to your red mare. There is something I wish to see."

"As you wish, your highness," said the good Malon as she bowed. Then she went to the red Epona and led her beside the fair Zelda. Then, she secured the net to the harness and doubly made sure that it was fast.

"Lead the mare a few paces," said now the young king, "No need for you to mount your other horse. Just walk a few paces with the red mare behind you."

So the good Malon took the ropes on the red Epona and walked a few paces, leading the red mare along.

The young king observed how the fair Zelda was dragged alongside the red Epona.

"Yes..." he said, "You do not walk, you do not ride, you do not drive. And no one carries you either. And I remember how you were flying in the air as the red mare ran. You were not on the path nor were you off it... you can stop now, good maid."

The red-haired Malon halted the red Epona and freed the fair Zelda from the red mare's side.

"Does this mean I correctly unraveled your riddle, your highness?" asked the wise, fair Zelda, "Have I passed your test? Will you release my father?"

"The young king nodded, "Yes, you have found a way to come to me, just as the riddle dictates. You have passed my test, and you have earned your father's freedom."

He turned to the two maidservants again, "Help the fair Zelda into the carriage. Take that net off her and help her dress."

The two dutiful maids bowed and helped the fair Zelda climb into the carriage. A short while later the pretty maid stepped out again, dressed in a simple but pretty dress.

"Well fair Zelda?" asked the young king, wearing again his high-collared cloak and his wide-brimmed hat, "Are you ready to meet your father?"

The wise, fair Zelda gave him a joyous smile, "Yes, your highness, I am."

"Well then, hurry back into the carriage!" he said and swift as a squirrel, he climbed back unto the high driver's seat, "It is high time we set your father free, wise, fair Zelda!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please review and comment. All forms of reviews, comments and criticisms are very welcomed and appreciated. If you have an account on FFN, You are also welcome to send me private messages.  
> If you do not have the time to leave behind such, a numerical ratings from 0-10 will suffice just as well.  
> 10 = PERFECTION!  
> 9 = Awesome!  
> 8 = Very good!  
> 7 = Good  
> 6 = Nice  
> 5 = Not too bad  
> 4 = Not so good  
> 3 = Bad  
> 2 = Why did you post this?  
> 1 = Why the hell did you even bother write this?!  
> 0 = Delete this shit… NOW!


	12. Epiloque

Not much is left to tell of this tale.

The wise, fair Zelda climbed back into the carriage and the young king drove it back to the castle with all haste so that father and daughter would be reunited. As soon as they entered the castle-grounds the young king ordered the old Daphnes to be brought out of the dungeons and into the throne-room. There, father and daughter joyfully flung themselves into each other’s' arms.

And there, the young king made his decree.

The wise, fair Zelda had passed the trial that he, the young king, himself had set upon her, and in doing so she had proven that her and the old Daphnes' claim were true, that she, the wise, fair Zelda, really was as smart as they had claimed her to be. The old Daphnes was declared innocent regarding the theft of the late king's jeweled silver dagger, for there was no proof of the old farmer's involvement in said crime, and the young king had decided to trust the words of the only witness, the wise, fair Zelda, whom the young king had just declared to be an honest girl.

Now... the young king had promised the wise, fair Zelda that he would spare her father, the old Daphnes, the last week of confinement within the castle. He had also promised that once the wise, fair Zelda passed his trial, her father would be free to go.

The king decided otherwise.

He kept the old Daphnes, and made the old farmer spent that one last week within the castle walls. Furthermore, the young king kept the daughter as well. Instead of taking her father home, the wise, fair Zelda had to spent that one last week inside the castle, alongside her old father. And nothing, not her beauty, not her wits, could sway the king's mind.

But that was quite all right… for the young king did not keep them as prisoners, but as guests.

However justifiable and reasonable his decisions may have been the young king still felt obliged to make amends to the old farmer and his pretty daughter. He was also worried for the health of the old Daphnes.

What good would it have brought to the wise, fair Zelda to finally have her old father back only to spend many sleepless days and nights nursing him back to health?

What good would it have brought to the wise, fair Zelda to have finally have her old father back after that solving that troublesome riddle only to lose him to illness?

So the king decreed that the old Daphnes and the wise, fair Zelda were to remain in the castle as his guests until the sickness that ailed the old Daphnes had passed and the old farmer was deemed healthy and well again.

And so it happened.

Quarters were prepared for the old Daphnes and the wise, fair Zelda which, though not luxurious, were very cozy, much more so than their little rooms back in the burly Master Talon's farmhouse.

The food they ate was not comprised of rare meats and sweet delicacies. Instead they ate what the young king ate, and it turned out that the young king preferred the simpler meals that he had enjoyed back when he naught more than the late king's nephew, a young soldier with blood ties to the crown.

And the meals he preferred were prepared from the hunt.

And so the old Daphnes and the wise, fair Zelda were somewhat surprised but only little disappointed when they sat in the king's dining hall and could feast on foods such as stuffed wild duck, roasted pheasant, grilled bulbo and smoked venison; all seasoned with herbs found and gathered in the woods and fields of Hyrule herself.

The clothes the wise, fair Zelda and the old Daphnes were given to wear were not tailored from expensive fabrics, nor were they colored from rare dyes. Instead they were given clothes like those befitting castle servants, not overly expensive or particularly elegant, but well-made, comfortable and nice to look at.

Why did the young king extend such humble hospitality to his guests and not let them enjoy the best that the castle could offer?

One must keep in mind that the wise, fair Zelda and the old Daphnes, though the young king's guests, were still only poor farmers. It would have roused many a good man or woman to doubt and question the young king had he quartered them in rooms styled and furnished for lords and princes, fed them sweet dates bought and brought from the desert lands of the Gerudo, and dressed them in garments tailored from the finest silk.

More so now that his country, the land Hyrule, had been ravaged and pillaged by the war that the vile Ganondorf had brought upon them all and that the young king had fought and won so hard. It was not a time for opulence and luxury, and so the young king lived as modestly as his station would permit him. He did not import anything for his leisure. He did not buy sparkling jewels and shining gold. He did not buy rare delicacies and sweets. He did not order his cooks to prepare him the most delectable meals. He did not order the best tailors in his land to make him the finest clothes.

So all things considered, the young king was actually extending all the hospitality and luxury he was allowed to extend his humble guests.

And it was more than enough.

The quarters were big, warm and homely. The wise, fair Zelda and the old Daphnes had never lived and slept before in rooms so cozy.

The foods they were served they ate with relish, for only during holidays and festivals could they taste such fine meals.

The clothes they were given to wear were much finer and nicer than the clothes they normally wore.

The king even allowed them to choose a few clothes for them to keep. Aside from a couple of warm mantles, the fair Zelda chose a pretty blue dress with a while dress blouse, which she would wear during festivals. With the young king's permission, she chose a second dress, this one for her friend, the good Malon.

The old Daphnes soon recovered. Each and every one of many nursemaids would watch over him and take care of him.

So did the wise, fair Zelda…

…or rather, she would have, had the young king not ordered the stern Impa to watch over her, for in her worry, watching over her sick father, the fair Zelda had nearly neglected her own health and grown ill as well, which was foolish on the part of the fair maiden, for not five days later the old farmer was up and well.

The peaceful naps and nights full of good sleep... the comfortable homely chamber with its soft, warm bed and large fireplace... the good, hearty meals... the days full of rest and ease... they soon had the weary, old farmer healthy and strong again. A strong body is like that. It takes much to wear it down, but little to get it up again.

Some people though find this hard to believe. In this case, it was the young king and the fair Zelda. Though the old Daphnes told them time and time again that his illness had passed their worry for the old farmer had not.

And so the old farmer and his daughter spent another three days in the castle and these they spent in leisure. The young king would entertain them as their host whenever he could but being the sole monarch of a ravaged land with troubled and starving people, he could only spare a couple of hours a day, much to his regret for he had come to enjoy the company of the wise, fair maiden, and that of the old farmer as well. And so it fell to the stern Impa to watch over the young king's guests.

Soon though, the day had come for the old Daphnes and the fair Zelda to return to the farm of the burly landlord Talon. While the two had stayed in the castle, the good Malon and her father had come this day and that to see their friends. So when the day had come for the old father and the clever daughter to leave the castle, the burly landlord and the red-haired farmmaid came with their cart and the red Epona, and after bidding their good-byes to the young king, the stern Impa and all the other friends they had made among the castle folk, they were soon back on the landlord's farm, and the next day both father and daughter saw to their work on their field again.

The old Daphnes henceforth contented himself with his lot, and though he often felt that he deserved to have more for his hard work, in the end he would decide to simply enjoy what life gave him, for, truth be told, his lot was not so bad.

He also decided to put more faith and trust into his daughter and into what she said, for he had come to realize that she was no longer a naive little girl but a young woman with a sound mind, and him simply being her father did not make him any wiser than her.

And he was not the only one to think so.

The burly landlord Talon, the good Malon, and many others had also come to respect and admire her for her wisdom and would often seek her for her advice. The wise, fair Zelda had become a local heroine and her advice was often sought when the villagers held their meetings.

She was also often visited by women and maidens who admired the young king and who wouldn't leave her be until she had satisfied all of their curiosity. The fair Zelda would simply tell them how the young king was, just the way she had come to know him; a kind and considerate host, mindful of the happiness and well-being of his guests and a young but dedicated king, devoted and loyal his people, and committed to their needs...

But also a stern, iron-handed judge and harsh taskmaster, which is why the fair Zelda would always say that she'd rather not meet him again, for fear that she might anger him and suffer the full brunt of his wrath.

But the goddesses chose another faith for her.

In the years to come, the fair Zelda would meet the young king again, and again he would place a trial between the fair maiden and what would become most precious to her, and again the fair Zelda would have to rely on nothing but her cleverness and craftiness to see her through her troubles.

But that shall be a tale for another time...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got any complaints, insults, curses, violent reactions, and/or ill wishes for me? Not here please. Read the next chapter before you do anything. I had my reasons for doing this. Valid reasons I think.  
> Please review and comment. All forms of reviews, comments and criticisms are very welcomed and appreciated.  
> If you do not have the time to leave behind such, a numerical ratings from 0-10 will suffice just as well.  
> 10 = PERFECTION!  
> 9 = Awesome!  
> 8 = Very good!  
> 7 = Good  
> 6 = Nice  
> 5 = Not too bad  
> 4 = Not so good  
> 3 = Bad  
> 2 = Why did you post this?  
> 1 = Why the hell did you even bother write this?!  
> 0 = Delete this shit… NOW!


	13. Author's Explanations.

**I'm pretty sure you guys are not too happy that I ended my story on the ultimate cliffhanger… well, here are my reasons.**

**Back on FFN posting such a chapter is/was against website policy, but no one has reported me yet, and/or no one seems to mind.**

**Not sure how it is here on AO3, but I’ll just risk it; I can always delete this “chapter” after all.**

**First of all: Thank you everybody for reading and reviewing my story "The silver dagger and its sheath."**

**Originally, this story was meant to be one big (but not too big) one-shot. I did not intend to put much time or effort into it. "The Wise Queen of Hyrule" (for the sake of my newer readers; that was the original title of "The silver dagger and its sheath") was meant to be one quick, short, light story... just like the original folktale. When I decided to cut it up into chapters, it was simply for convenience; it simply made encoding, posting and updating easier and quicker; especially on a regular basis. I also did not expect much out of this story because my prior LOZ stories were all failures.**

**Then the guys on FFN all of a sudden showered me with all sorts of praise and ratings from 7 -10. Chapter one I already had 2 tens! I got motivated, I didn't want to disappoint them and... to cut it short I kept writing, and the story just kept growing and developing, as I smoothed out rough parts, and explained others that were vague before. And of course I had to tweak things a bit so that the story takes place in the LOZ universe.**

**But overall I still use the original folktale as my basis, and intend to do so until the end.**

**But then a small problem came up that seemed a little trickier to fix. You see... in the original tale, the pretty maiden used her wits three times to "defeat" the king. The first time was the riddle our wise, fair Zelda had to unravel.**

**So why the cut here? Because the first "defeat," the riddle, is not really related to the following defeats.**

**At least, as that’s how I recall the story… there was no smooth transition between the riddle and what happens after. The second and third victories of the clever maiden over the, for a lack of better word, foolish king are clearly related, the second defeat leads to the third.**

**But the first, the riddle, seems like a totally different event.**

**The more I thought about it, the more I got the feeling that my original folktale may have been originally two! It might be that someone took two very short stories, anecdotes maybe, and glued them into one without smoothing out all the rough parts.**

**What also led me to make this cut here is a pair of sister-stories that I have read while I was working on "The silver dagger and its sheath." Both stories revolve around the same two characters. The first story tells you where they came from and how they met. It also tells you about their first adventure together. The second story tells you what becomes of them after their first adventure. It also tells you about their second, and last, adventure together and how their tale ends. But even so, there is no good way that you can combine the two into one good, big story; at least I don't think so; better leave the two sister-stories separate.**

**That's why I decided to make this cut. I decided to trust my gut-feeling and cut the maybe two-stitched-together-stories into two sister-stories (again?) (Which led me to rename my story from “The Wise Queen of Hyrule” to “The wise, fair Zelda.”)**

**Anyhow, this story, "The silver dagger and its sheath" is now the "alpha-" story; it introduces all the main characters, tells you who they are, where they came from and what they are like. The next story, the "omega," will bring them back and tell you how their lives will continue.**

**In short, in the next story our wise, fair Zelda will continue her adventures "against" the young king Link.**

**Then I decided to rename my story a second time; why? Why did I not stick to the second title "Wise, fair Zelda?"**

**Remember those sister-stories I mentioned? Well, you can kinda tell by their names that they are sisters, and I also wanted the titles of my sister-stories to reflect that they are sisters. You see, I had decided on the title of the second story long ago; "The Queen's Most Precious Treasure."**

**And that's the story you'll have to watch out for if you want to what adventures, or rather trials, our wise, fair Zelda will have to overcome in the years to come…**

**…or you could go to FFN and read it there; as of now though it’s not yet finished.**

**I hope to see you all review again in "The Queen's most precious treasure!"**

**Still miffed? Look at the bright side! The adventures of the wise, fair Zelda are not over yet! You'll read from her again!**

**And say what you want; you can't accuse me of not putting enough effort and thought into my story!**

**Some final words:**

**I am no one special; what I can do, any one can do! If I can write a great story, you can write one too!**

**Okay, I have written everything I wanted to say and I have explained my upsetting decision; NOW you're free to badmouth me!**

**PS: Once you let everything out; mind giving me an honest objective rating from one to ten?**


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